THE DON Joaquin F. Enriquez Memorial Sports Complex (grandstand) where evacuees continue to stay to this day. INQUIRER MINDANAO FILE PHOTO/JULIE S. ALIPALA
ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines—Prostitution continues to thrive in and around evacuation camps in Zamboanga City as many of the evacuees see it as a way out of hunger and misery, evacuees and officials say.
Hain Sukarna, 43, a mother of three, told the Inquirer that prostitution was taking place inside the Joaquin F. Enriquez Memorial Sports Complex, where thousands of evacuees have been living since members of the Moro National Liberation Front attacked several villages here last September.
“It’s because there is nothing to eat. Some of them cannot get jobs due to lack of education. Some need money to buy medicines,” Sukarna said.
Shallom Allian, program manager of the non-governmental organization Nisa Ul Haqq Bangsamoro, told the Inquirer that prostitution was indeed happening not just inside the sports complex but also along Cawa-Cawa Boulevard, where many evacuees have set up camp.
“We’ve learned that there are (tent) brothels inside and outside, just near the Women’s Center building,” Allian said.
He said the evacuees were “forced to engage in prostitution for P25, P50 to as high as P300 just to address their immediate needs like food and medicines.”
Dr. Rodelin Agbulos, the city’s health officer, admitted there was rampant prostitution inside the sports complex during the first three months that followed the siege.
“It was really rampant and there was even a joke about the ‘bagsak presyo(price drop)’ then,” Agbulos said, adding that prostitution went on inside even when a curfew was imposed within the sports complex.
When the curfew was lifted, Agbulos said, “we learned that these prostituted individuals brought their job back to the streets.”
“Now, there is no prostitution inside the grandstand,” he said.
The city health chief also acknowledged receiving reports of sexual activities inside the “portalets”—short for portable toilets—“so we deployed more latrine marshals and increased the presence of police patrols.”
Evacuee Saadia Alfad said she constantly watches over her three children as there have been cases of sexual assault in the toilets.
“I accompany my daughter when she goes to the portalet,” Alfad said.
Allian said there were cases of mothers and children having the sexually transmitted disease gonorrhea, and recently a three-year-old girl was reported to have tested positive for sexually transmitted disease.
Jasmin Teodoro of the Non Violent Peace Force told the Inquirer that the girl was referred to the City Health Office for immediate intervention.
Agbulos said, however, when checked again weeks ago, the girl tested negative for STD.
“She was first examined and found positive but when she was tested again, it turned out negative,” he said.
Agbulos said they checked the girl’s genitalia and found that “there was no penetration, only surface scratches that may be due to touching.”
Dr. Kibtiya Uddin of the City Health’s HIV/AIDS surveillance unit said seven children, ages 3 to 12, were found to have STDs such as gonorrhea, syphilis and chlamydia.
“We were able to track them and provided treatment,” Uddin said.
Senior Supt. Angelito Casimiro, Zamboanga City’s acting police chief, said they still had to confirm reports about “tent brothels” in the evacuation centers.
“We have increased our personnel coupled with regular patrols there. But we have in our report only a single prostitution case that was months ago,” Casimiro said.
He confirmed that two weeks ago the police rounded up about two dozen evacuees who were engaged in prostitution outside the sports complex.
“It is sad to note that majority were found with STD. There were minors with them,” Casimiro said.
RELATED STORIES
Kids die of illnesses in Zamboanga City evacuation centers